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Powershell

Fascinating. I used to do this both ways, back when I was using Windows at work, and GNU/Linux at home. I put together .bat files to use at work, transforming GNU/Linux commands to windows command line commands; and aliases to use at home in transforming windows commands to GNU/Linux command line commands.

Hmmm... Maybe I should have patented this approach, so I could sue everybody in the world.

There's this weird symptom of the human condition at work here. "A feature is only good if it is ours."

My first frustration with this came in the late 80s. I was immensely proud of and impressed with my Amiga computer. It had a fully pre-emptive multitasking operating system, and was capable of sound and graphics unmatched by its competitors at the time of release.

But people who used then-referred-to-as "IBM compatibles" argued that the multimedia capability that the Amiga offered just basically proved that it was a toy, and no good for serious work.

As soon as "PC" hardware surpassed it, these people suddenly said "hey look, losers, my peecee can play the bestest games, therefore it's superior to yours."

The same applies here. *x admins had always stoutly advocated the command line as a more efficient way to administer a system, but it was shot down repeatedly by Win-clicky admins as un-user-friendly. Now they have a proper command line, so now suddenly they roar proudly about it.

I wonder if any of them actually know how to use it.

Another example, albeit slightly looser-fitting, is FOSS.

We say:
"Hey gosh look how great FOSS is, you can port it to any platform freely!"

They say:
"Hey gosh look how awesome Windows is, it can run both Windows software AND your freeopensauce software!"

Quoting:Hmmm... Maybe I should have patented this approach, so I could sue everybody in the world.

So Microsoft is Embracing this Powershell CLI approach to convert Linux users to Windows, are they ??
If so, then one question here is How does MS plan to Extend this Powershell enough to eventually attempt to Extinguish the Linux/*nix CLI shell as a longterm goal ??

Start by agreeing wholeheartedly with the idea. Go along to meetings, be an advocate and become a leading light.

Then notice limitations of the idea and create extensions to it to cope with your very legitimate concerns. Keep doing this until you are in control.

Then, when people can no longer keep up point out that the system is now unworkable and problematic and so should be terminated. Alternatively quietly drop the system in favor of a new and improved system which you own, lock, stock and barrel.

Microsoft used the EEE approach with its OOXML within this past year --- see PJ's http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080524063506630 --- so there is certainly precedent for it to eventually use EEE in its "New and Vastly Improved Powershell which is [currently] fully Interoperable with All standard Linux/*nix SysAdmin shell commands".

According to the Windows PowerShell Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_PowerShell, the previous Monad (aka Microsoft Shell or MSH) was renamed to Windows PowerShell on April 25, 2006. One can be certain that Microsoft is Embracing more extensive SysAdmin uses of the shell.

Quoting:bash Bourne-Again Shell, this is the default shell on most Linux systems
sh Bourne Shell, this one is not so widely used anymore and it has been replaced by Bash
csh C Shell, has a syntax which resembles the C syntax
tcsh an improved version of the C shell
ksh Korn Shell

Would also immediately add in the fine Zsh shell (main Australian PrimeNet Distribution Site at http://www.zsh.org/pub/)

Therefore, there is certainly historic precedent (albeit going back awhile in time) for developing new shells and "Extending" older ones.

Since msh has already been transformed into the PowerShell name and wsh stands for Windows Scripting Host (are these shell acronyms actually patented?), that leaves shell-acronym alternatives like msash, winsh, winash winbash, msbash,... etcetera, etcetera. Should Microsoft somehow develop such a technically superior shell variant for Windows which currently interoperates with other Linux CLI commands, it can first patent its new name and new technology, and then just stamp out all other competition through its infamous hype and marketing muscle (the "Extinguish" part of EEE).

Quoting: It isn't like they would never take credit for someone else's work.